The book was written by Eric Carle and first published in 1969. It is said that one copy has been sold every minute since then and there are certainly millions of copies in print. The television and movie rights were sold in 2005 for over £1 million and the book was named by George W. Bush as one of his favourites. Something which caused a bit of a stir when it was pointed out that he was already 23 years old when the book was first published.

The book tells the story of a life cycle as it begins with a small egg on a leaf which becomes a very hungry caterpillar. Throughout the course of the week this hungry little caterpillar eats his way through all kinds of food from watermelon to salami. Eventually he grows larger and larger and goes into a cocoon. At the end of the book he emerges from the cocoon as a butterfly.

The book is cleverly designed and there are holes in the various bits of food which allow the child to see through to the next day. It is beautifully coloured and vibrant with a colourful collage effect of layered hand painted paper. It teaches the concept of time as each new day comes and goes and the reader waits for the butterfly to emerge at the end. It also teaches children about various foods and even the effects of over indulging as the caterpillar gets a stomach ache after eating too much.

The book also teaches children simple counting as the caterpillar eats an extra piece of food each day as he grows. The pages are numbered and they get larger which helps children to grasp the concept in a tactile way. The action continues with each new day and so it also teaches kids about the days of the week. The story itself is beautifully simple and portrays life as a journey during which we learn, develop and change. This could be an important life lesson for a young mind.

The book has won countless awards over the years and is prized both for the content and the artistic flair. It is popular all over the world and has been translated into over 50 languages.  It has made the author and illustrator Eric Carle famous and he has also launched a series of products to go alongside the book which you can explore on his website. The original title was going to be A Week with Willi Worm and the central character was going to be a bookworm but Carle’s editor persuaded him to change it. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is truly a great book for toddlers and an essential purchase for parents.